Recipes

Vegetarian Diet Perks

With so many diets out there, which one is best? A vegetarian diet might be. Researchers assigned 74 adults with type 2 diabetes to a low-calorie vegetarian diet or a standard low-calorie diet recommended for diabetes. In six months, the vegetarians lost more body fat, achieved better blood sugar control, and became more responsive to insulin--the compound produced by the pancreas that lowers blood sugar levels. The vegetarians got 60% of their calories from carbohydrates, 15% from protein, and 25% from fat. The only animal products allowed were one cup of low-fat yogurt per day. (Source: Journal of the American College of Nutrition)

Also, note that you may want diabetic friendly potatoes. This will help to reduce the glycemic load of potatoes by about 25 percent. You can achieve this by refrigerating your potatoes for 24 hours after cooking. This reduces the effect of the potatoes on blood sugar levels because the cool temperature converts the starch into a form that is broken down more slowly in the body.

2 C. sesame seeds (We don't care for these so I omit them, or add a cup of flax meal and let the extra nuts take the place of sesame seeds.)

Blend:

1 C. water

1 C. oil

1 C. brown sugar (may substitute honey if prefer)

2 tsp. salt

3 tsp. vanilla (I add 1 tsp. each of almond &/or coconut flavoring)

Add to dry ingredient and mix well. Spread in 2 large pans - like broiling pans.

Bake in 200 - 225 oven until browned and crisp (usually 2 1/2 to 3 hrs.) stirring every 30 - 45 minutes. Or bake at 185 for 6 to 7 hours and on that low temp you don't need to stir - of if so, only once.

Ice Cream Substitute

1 cup raw cashew nuts rinsed

1 can cream of coconut

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon powder stevia or 1 banana or sweeten to taste

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 cups ice cubes

Blend first 5 ingredients until smooth. Gradually add ice cubes blending until smooth. If using a regular blender [not heavy duty] you may want to divide blended cream and add 1/2 of the cubes, remove and repeat - will give a smoother ice cream.

Serve immediately for soft ice cream or pour into the container and freeze for at least 3 hours. If completely frozen, thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes or in micro on 20% for 1 minute.

I often don't add any sweeter - but if desired a few tablespoons of honey is great. A nice variation is to substitute 2 cups of the ice cubes with frozen strawberries.

Indian Lentil Soup

1 cup dry red lentils

5 cups water

1 crushed garlic clove

1 tablespoon oil

1 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup thinly sliced celery

1 cup finely diced carrots

1 & 1/2 cups canned chunky tomatoes

1 & 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon chile powder

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Combine the lentils, water, garlic, oil, onion, celery, and carrots in a soup pot and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and let simmer for about 2 hours. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, chili powder and salt and let simmer a few more minutes. Just before serving, add the parsley and remove bay leaf.

Delicious Vegan Lasagna

14 ounces firm tofu

1 cup vegenaise or mayonnaise

4 teaspoons sugar or equal amount Stevia

1 small onion - finely chopped

3 cloves garlic – pressed

10 leaves fresh basil – chopped

1 teaspoon salt

2 to 3 jars spaghetti sauce

6 to 8 precooked whole wheat lasagna noodles

Mix first 7 ingredients together. In a greased baking dish, layer sauce, noodles and tofu mixture. Repeat layers and top with sauce. Bake at 350 degrees in the oven for 1 hour.

Onion-Topped Lentil Rice

Fried onions top a mixture of lentils and rice seasoned with cumin and garlic powder - very healthy!!

Prep time 15minutes, Cook time 1 hour, Ready in 1 hour 25 minutes.

Serves 6

1 cup dry lentils, rinsed

2 cups water

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp. ground cumin

1 tbsp. garlic powder

3/4 cup white rice, rinsed

3/4 cup water

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 white onions, sliced into 1/4 - inch rings

Combine the lentils, 2 cups of water, 1 teaspoon salt, the cumin, and garlic powder in a pot over medium heat; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook until the lentils begin to soften, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir the rice, 3/4 cup of water, 1 teaspoon salt, and the olive oil into the lentils. Cover the pot and continue cooking until the lentils and rice are tender about 40 minutes.

Heat the cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook the onions in the oil until browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Spread the onions over the rice and lentil mixture to serve.

Red Potato Salad

Yield: 7 (1/2-cup) serving

2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed (approximately 8 medium potatoes)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

3 green onions, sliced

1/2 cup coarsely chopped dill pickles, preferably naturally fermented

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1/2 – 3/4 cup vegan mayonnaise (such as Just Mayo)

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Heat to boiling; cover, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Drain potatoes and rinse with cold water. Cool slightly and cut into 1-inch cubes with a serrated knife.

Add green onions, pickles, parsley, and mayonnaise to potatoes, and stir. (If desired, cover and refrigerate 1 hour or up to 24 hours before serving.) If potato salad is too dry, stir in additional mayonnaise.

Peaches & Cream Smoothie

2 cups frozen peaches (about 8 ounces)

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup frozen orange-peach-mango juice concentrate

1/2 cup soy milk or vanilla nondairy yogurt

Remove peaches from the freezer, and let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes to thaw slightly (or defrost in the microwave at 50 percent power for 1 minute).

Pour water, juice concentrate, and soy milk or yogurt into blender.

Add peaches. Cover and blend until smooth, about 30-60 seconds.

Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers or freeze in popsicle molds.

Kale and White Bean Soup

1 medium onion, diced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups vegetable broth (low-sodium preferred)

1 bunch kale, ribs removed and chopped

2 large carrots, sliced into 1/4-inch coins

1 (15-ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Salt, to taste

In large, heavy-bottomed pot, cook onions with olive oil over medium heat for approximately 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes longer. When onions and garlic are translucent, add vegetable broth, kale, carrots, and tomatoes. Cover, and cook until carrots and kale are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Add cannellini beans, salt to taste, and cook until beans are heated through.

Delicious and Light Waffles

2 cups white whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups soy milk

1-2 tablespoons oil (optional)

Mix flour, baking powder, and sea salt together. Make a well in the middle and slowly stir in milk and oil. The dough consistency should be like honey running off of a spoon. If needed, add more milk or water to get the desired consistency. Depending on the size of the waffle iron, use about 1/2 cup of dough per waffle, and cook for approximately 12 minutes (the time will vary from iron to iron).

For variation, try one of these flavorful additions:

a dash of cinnamon

vanilla or maple flavoring

1 cup of blueberries or other fruit

Caribbean Bean Salad

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained

2 1/4 cups frozen organic corn

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup purple onion, diced very finely

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

rind of 1/2 lime

*In a pot, prepare corn according to package instructions. Drain and cool.

Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

Mighty Mac Burgers

1 cup cooked garbanzo beans

2 cups quick-cooking oats

2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sage

1 1/4 cups water, save some

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

1 medium onion, minced

1 teaspoon salt

Whiz garbanzo beans and water in the blender. Pour mixture into the bowl and add remaining ingredients. (Use less salt if using canned garbanzos.) Stir. Form patties, using an ice cream scoop or a 1/4 measuring cup. Carefully place patties on baking sheet sprayed with vegetable spray and bake at 350 F for 30 to 35 minutes. Or fry in nonstick skillet with a minimum amount of oil. Serve patties on whole-wheat buns with lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

Delicious Hummus

3 garlic cloves, minced

Juice of 2 lemons

1/4 cup of tahini

1 (15-oz.) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup chopped onion

Salt to taste (1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon)

Bell peppers, jalapeños, or black olives (optional)

Blend above ingredients until smooth and enjoy on crackers, as a dip or on bread as a spread.

Delicious and Easy Cauliflower Soup

1 medium head of cauliflower, broken into florets

1 medium carrot, shredded

1/4 cup chopped celery

2 & 1/2 cups of water

1 vegetable bouillon cube

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 cups of 2% milk

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower, carrot, celery, water, and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender (do not drain). In another large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Stir in the cheese until melted. Stir into the cauliflower mixture.

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

3 & 1/2 cups of water

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup potato, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 cup carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1 & 1/2 tablespoons McKay’s chicken-style seasoning

Dash of cayenne pepper

3/4 cup of additional water

1 cup of cashew pieces

1/2 cup of nutritional yeast

2 &1/2 teaspoons of salt

1/2 cup of red bell pepper or pimento

3 to 4 cups of broccoli, chopped (may also use cauliflower or asparagus)

Bring 3 1/2 cups of water to a boil and add onion, potatoes, celery, carrots, garlic, dill weed, chicken-style seasoning, and cayenne. Reduce heat to medium. In a blender, combine 3/4 cups of water, cashews, yeast, salt, and red bell pepper. Blend until very smooth. When vegetables are tender add cashew sauce and broccoli. Return to a boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes at a high boil. Remove from heat.

Creamy, Delicious, and Easy Sweet Potato Soup

2 large baked sweet potatoes

2 cups of chicken broth

1 tablespoon of reduced-calorie margarine

1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger

1 cup of fat-free evaporated milk or milk of choice

1 tablespoon of chopped & toasted pecans (optional)

Blend peeled sweet potatoes with 3/4 cup of broth until smooth. Melt margarine in saucepan; stir in flour and ginger, and then add milk. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Cook 1 minute more and then stir in sweet potato mixture and remaining 1 & 1/4 cups of broth. Cook, stirring until heated through. Garnish soup in a bowl with pecans.